Laundry handling receptacle



Nov. 10, 1953 w. A. PELLERIN 2,658,641

LAUNDRY HANDLING RECEPTA CLE Filed April 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Nov- 1953 w. A. PELLERIN 2,658,641

LAUNDRY HANDLING RECEPTACLE Filed April 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Halls '9. Pun-em ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 10, 1953 LAUNDRY HANDLING RECEPTACLE Willis A. Pellerin, New Orleans, La., assignor to Pellerin Milnor Corporation, New Orleans, La., a corporation of Louisiana Application April 4, 1950, Serial No. 153,805

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an article or material handling receptacle, and more particularly to a receptacle for facilitating the handling of family bundles in commercial laundries.

It has been the common practice in commercial laundries to use a relatively large washer to accommodate a large work load, usually involving the bundles of fifteen to twenty customers. This method of handling laundry pieces involves considerable time in view of the procedure necessary to mark or otherwise identify each piece and the assembling of the pieces into the respective bundles to be delivered to the customers.

Under a later procedure, family laundry bundles are washed individually, and each bundle progresses through the various finishing units. This greatly improves the facility with which laundry bundles can be handled, but still leaves much to be desired.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel compartmented receptacle through the use of which the handling of all pieces in a given family laundry bundle can be expeditiously handled with a minimum chance of error entirely through the various proceedings involved in the laundering of the clothes.

A further object is to provide such a receptacle which facilitates keeping together to the maxi mum extent possible all of the individual articles laundered for a given family, and which facilitates the ultimate packaging of the articles for delivery to a customer.

A further object is to provide a device of this character wherein a wall of one or more compartments may be dropped to a horizontal position to form a shelf to facilitate the packaging of the laundered articles.

A further object is to provide such a receptacle which is adapted to be used in cooperation with one or more paper or other sacks, bags, boxes or other containers to facilitate the gathering thereinto of the various laundered articles and to facilitate the closing and sealing of the bag or bags by forming one wall of each bag cornpartment as a member movable to provide a packaging shelf.

A further object is to provide novel means for advising various operators, as the receptacle progresses through the laundry, that the family laundry is incomplete because of the removal of certain articles for ironing, thus preventing the packaging of the laundry until the bundle is complete.

A further object is to provide such a receptacle mounted on a wheeled stand to facilitate the progress of the receptacle through the laundry and past the various processing points.

In the drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle and its supporting stand, showing the parts in closed position as the receptacle passes through the laundry,

Figure 2 is a similar view, parts being broken away, showing a compartment wall at one end of the receptacle opened to a position serving as a packaging shelf,

Figure 3 is a similar view looking at the other end of the receptacle, and

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line l4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral H] designates the receptacle as a whole which may be formed of metal or any other similar material and is removably supported by a folding stand I I provided with supporting wheels or casters l2. The receptacle comprises side walls l3 and I4 rigidly fixed to a bottom wall [5, the edges of which preferably turn downwardly as at Hi to engage on opposite sides of the carriage H, as shown in Figure 4. The receptacles may be lifted from the carriages for stacking and storage, while the carriages may be folded to minimize storage space.

The receptacle is compartmented as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for handling certain types of family wash, but it will become apparent that the exact compartmenting of the receptacle may be varied in accordance with individual needs. As shown, the receptacle is provided with a transverse wall l8 extending throughout the width of the receptacle and welded or otherwise secured to the side walls l3 and Id. The wall l8, together with an end wall [9, forms a compartment 20 for a purpose to be described. The end wall I9 is hinged to the bottom wall l5 as at 2| to swing downwardly to a horizontal position flush with the bottom wall l5, as shown in Figure 3. For limiting downward movement thereof, edge portions of the wall [9 are connected to quadrant rods 23, these rods being concentric with the axis of the hinges 2| and being slidable 1n openings 24 formed in flanges 25 carried by the adjacent ends of the side walls I3.

Means is provided for locking the end wall 19 1n the closed position shown in Figure 1. This wall is provided with aligned spaced bearing members 28, preferably formed of sheet metal and rotatably supporting aligned sections of a rod 29, the central portion of which is offset upwardly to form a handle 30. Outwardly f the hinges 28, the rod is formed with hooklike ends 3| which are adapted to swing over the top of and behind the flanges 25. When locked, the hook ends 3| occupy the positions shown in Figure 1. For reinforcing purposes, the opposite edge portions of the wall [9 are preferably channeled as at 34, each channel fitting over the flange 25 of the associated end wall. Also for reinforcing purposes, the upper edges of the side walls are flanged or beaded as at and these beads or flanges terminate short of the flanges 25, as at 36, to permit the hook ends 3! to swing over the top ends of the flanges 25.

In a plane spaced from the opposite end of the receptacle, a vertical wall 43 extends transversely of the receptacle parallel to the wall I8, and is welded or otherwise secured to the side walls l3 and 44. Between the walls l8 and and secured to such walls are spaced parallel walls 4| and 42. The latter walls, together with the walls I8 and 40 and the side walls I3 and I4 define open topped compartments 43, 44 and 45. These compartments are adapted to receive various laundered articles, preferably as described below.

At the end of the receptacle adjacent the wall 40, that is, the nearer end as viewed in Figure 2, the receptacle is provided with a stationary end wall section 48. This wall section may be integral with or secured to the wall I4. At its inner edge, the end wall section 48 is secured to a dividing partition formed of spaced walls 49 and 50 defining therebetween a narrow space 5| for a purpose to be described. The walls 49 and 50 have their outer edges flanged and connected to each other as at 52. The walls 48 and 49 and the cooperating portions of the walls 14 and 40 form a compartment 53. The walls I3, 45 and 50, in conjunction with a movable end wall section 54, define an open topped compartment 55. In the same manner as the wall l9, the wall 54 is hinged to the base I 5 and quadrant arms 56 are connected to the wall 54. One of these quadrant arms is slidable through an opening 51 in the flanges 52 to enter the space 5|. The other arm 56 is slidable in an opening 51 formed in a flange 58 at the adjacent end of the wall 13. All of the arms 23 and 56 may be provided at the free ends with any suitable means for limiting their movement, and in the drawings, these arms have been shown as having their ends looped as at 60 for this pur- Pose.

The wall 54 acts as a gate in the same manner as the wall l9 and is provided with a locking mechanism similar to that shown in conjunction with the wall l9. Since this locking mechanism may be identical with that described, it need not be illustrated in detail, and the same reference numerals have been employed for indicating the parts thereof which show in the drawings. It will be noted in this connection that the outermost flange 52 stands outwardly in spaced relation to the adjacent elements of the structure to receive therebehind the locking hook 3| of the associated locking mechanism.

As will become apparent later, the compartments 20 and are employed in conjunction with the packaging of the laundered articles, and to this end sacks or bags 6! and 62 are formed to correspond in horizontal shape to the respective compartments 2!] and 55 to be placed 4 therein to receive the laundered articles as fully described below.

In the use of the present invention, certain tags will be carried by the workers and such tags are utilized for a purpose to be described. In Figure 1, one of these tags is shown as being clipped over the upper edge of one of the side walls.

Operation A customer bundle is received in the laundry, and checked in and inspected in the usual way prior to washing it. Of course, this bundle contains, as a rule, all of the usual classes of garments found in the average family laundry bundle, such as flat work (sheets, pillow cases, etc.), shirts, and various articles of wearing apparel, some of which is to be starched and some left unstarched.

After the bundle has been individually washed, it is placed in an extractor to remove surplus moisture. After extraction of the moisture, the various articles are distributed in the compartments of the present invention. For example, all items generally classified as flat work, such as sheets, pillow cases, towels, etc., requiring processing through a flat ironer, are placed in the compartment 20. Shirts are placed in the compartment 55, fugitive items such as socks, wools, silks, and other material requiring special attention, are placed in the compartment 53, while starched wearing apparel is placed in the compartment 45. Wearing apparel requiring no starching is placed in the compartment 44, and work requiring only drying without ironing, for example, bath towels and the like, are placed in the compartment 43. In such compartment are also preferably placed articles such as pants and other large odds and ends.

At this point, the receptacle contains a single but complete family bundle divided by type classifications of garments and articles, and everything will be damp. The identity of the bundle is insured in any suitable manner, for example, by a metal identification tag (not shown) bearing a number which is removably attached to the truck unit illustrated and assigned to the particular customer bundle. Usually the first operation is the processing or ironing of the flat work in compartment 20. This work is removed from the compartment, shaken out, and then fed into the flat work ironing machine. When the damp work has been removed from compartment 20, the flat work ironer operator preferably places a paper bag 61 in the compartment 20, this bag corresponding generally in horizontal cross-sectional shape and area to that of the compartment 20. The flat work. when ironed, is then returned to the compart- Lnent 20, being placed flat in the bottom of the Shirts from compartment 55 are removed by the shirt finishing operators, and a shirt box, paper bag or shirt shell i inserted in the bottom of compartment 55 and preferably substantially fits therein. After the shirts have been processed, they are placed in the bag or the like, indicated by the numeral 62 in Figure 2,

The various items in the other compartments are similarly removed for whatever processing they are to undergo. In order that the receptacle may not be mistakenly moved from one processing point to another before articles removed from any of the compartments have been processed and returned, each operator remo ing articles from a compartment 'will attach his or her tag 65 to a wall of the compartment from which articles have been removed. For example, the presence of the tag 65 at the point shown in Figure 1 indicates that an operator has removed flat work from the compartment for ironing. Upon returning any processed articles, the operator will remove the tag, whereupon the receptacle obviously is ready to be moved to the next processing point.

Flat work which has been processed will be returned to the compartment wand placed in the bag 6i and all of the remaining processed articles, except shirts, will be returned to the same bag. The ironed flat work or larger pieces are placed in the bottom of the bag, followed by the dried or tumbled work from compartment 43, followed by articles from compartments G4 and 45. Finally, the items from compartment 53 will be placed in the top of the bag El. All ironed shirts will be returned to the bag 62 in compartment 55.

Thus it will be seen that when all of the laundering work has been completed, all of the shirts will be arranged in the bag 62 and all of the remaining articles will be in the bag 6|. During this period, the end Walls l9 and 54 will be in closed positions. The laundry is now ready for final packaging. The handle 39 of the end wall 54 will be swung outwardly and downwardly to release the associated lock hooks 3i whereupon the wall 54 may be swung to the horizontal position shown in Figure 2. The bag or box 62 then may be slid outwardly from the shelf provided by the wall E l, which will be flush with the bottom wall [5 and the bag or box may be closed or covered and suitably sealed. The end Wall I9 is similarly moved to the position shown in Figure 3 to form a shelf flush with the bottom wall #5 whereupon the bag BI is slid with its contents onto the wall !9 to be closed and suitably taped or tied. The customers bundle is now provided with the appropriate ticket identifications, and the completed bundle in two packages is ready for delivery.

The present invention obviously eliminates the necessity of reassembling a laundry bundle, piece by piece, from marked designations, from a considerable quantity of work which has been thrown together to make a work load of a size which would be convenient and practicable for a washer of large capacity. All of the articles of the family laundry, regardless of the character of service the customer desires, will be kept together from the start to the finish of the processing, except during periods in which items are removed for specific processing, and when such articles are removed, the operator places his or her identification tag in a visible position on the receptacle. This clearly indicates that items have been removed and are to be returned before the receptacle progresses to the next processing point.

Each receptacle merely rests on its carriage l I, and accordingly, the receptacles may be removed and stacked. The carriage is of the folding type, and accordingly, they may be folded for stor age in a minimum space.

The present invention has been found in practice greatly to facilitate the handling of laundry work in its step by step processing through commercial laundries. The invention results in a saving of time in the handling of laundry and substantially eliminates the possibility of error in the packaging of individual family laundry bundles.

Iclaim: V I

1. A device for facilitating the processing of clothing and other articles in a laundry comprising a receptacle having a bottom and side wall elements and provided with at least one partition dividing said receptacle into a plurality of opentopped compartments, one of said side wall elements being hinged to said bottom to swing on a horizontal axis between a normal vertical position and a horizontal position substantially flush with said bottom, the side wall elements adjacent said hinged side wall element being stationary and being provided adjacent the latter with vertical channeled flanges, and locking means carried by the normally upper edge portion of said hinged wall element and including hooks movable inwardly over the top of and back of said flanges to lock said hinged side wall element in normal vertical position.

2. A device for facilitating the processing of clothing and other articles in a laundry comprising a receptacle having a bottom and side wall elements and provided with at least one partition dividing said receptacle into a plurality of opentopped compartments, one of said side wall elements being hinged to said bottom to swing on a horizontal axis between a normal vertical position and a horizontal position substantially flush with said bottom, the side wall elements adjacent said hinged side wall element being stationary and being provided adjacent the latter with vertical channeled flanges, locking means carried by the normally upper edge portion of said hinged wall element and including hooks movable inwardly over the top of and back of said flanges to lock said hinged side wall element in normal vertical position, each of said flanges having an aperture, and a quadrant rod connected at one end to said hinged wall element adjacent each side edge thereof and slidable in said apertures, each rod having at its other end an element engageable back of the associated flange for limiting movement of said hinged wall element to horizontal position.

3. A device for facilitating the processing of clothing and other articles in a laundry comprising a receptacle having a bottom and side wall elements and provided with at least one partition dividing said receptacle into a plurality of opentopped compartments, one of said side wall elements being hinged to said bottom to swing on a horizontal axis between a normal vertical position and a horizontal position substantially flush with said bottom, the side wall elements adjacent said hinged side wall element being stationary and being provided adjacent the latter with vertical channeled flanges, locking means carried by the normally upper edge portion of said hinged wall element and including hooks movable inwardly over the top of and back of said flanges to lock said hinged side wall element in normal vertical position, each of said flanges having an aperture, a quadrant rod connected at one end to said hinged wall element adjacent each side edge thereof and slidable in said apertures, each rod having at its other end an element engageable back of the associated flange for limiting movement of said hinged wall element to horizontal position, and a laundry receiving container generally corresponding in horizontal cross-sectional shape and size to the compartment of which said hinged wall element forms one wall whereby, when such wall element is in said horizontal position, said container may be slid outwardly thereonto to be closed.

4. A device for facilitating the processing of clothing and other articles in a laundry comprising an upwardly opening substantially rectangular receptacle having a bottom and side wall elements, partition mean in said receptacle dividing it into a plurality of open-topped compartments, one of said compartments extending entirely across said receptacle adjacent one end thereof, one of said side wall elements at said one end of the receptacle forming a wall of said compartment and being hinged to said bottom for downward swinging movement to a substantially horizontal position, another of said compartments extending across a portion only of said receptacle adjacent the opposite end thereof, a portion only of the side wall element at said opposite end of the receptacle forming a Wall of said last named compartment and also being hinged to said bottom for downward swinging movement to a substantially horizontal position, and means for holding each of said hinged Wall elements in horizontal positions with their top surfaces substantially flush with the top surface of said bottom.

WILLIS A. PELLERIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 275,991 Case Apr. 17, 1883 676,539 Hall June 18, 1901 791,794 Johnson et al June 6, 1905 860,496 Reed July 16, 1907 918,819 Bowers Apr. 20, 1909 1,454,710 Drinkwater May 8, 1923 1,782,414 Duer Nov. 25, 1930 2,046,236 Ball June 30, 1936 2,110,411 White Mar. 8, 1938 2,246,455 Ploeger et a1 June 17, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,434 Great Britain Apr. 27, 1901 

